


When an Angel Loves a Demon

by Taybay14



Series: Saving people, writing prompts [37]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe but still Supernaturally, Angel Castiel (Supernatural), Angels, Angst, Demon Dean Winchester, Demons, Fighting, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Orphan Dean, Prompt Fill, Rich Castiel (Supernatural), everyone is kind of a dick, sort of romeo and juliet dynamic going on? unintentionally?, speciasm - Freeform, species - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:22:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23643022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Taybay14/pseuds/Taybay14
Summary: Another prompt from the lovely longkissgoodnightbatmanandtwofac:In a world where a person is either becomes an angel or a devil Dean and Castiel are happily in love in school despite Cas’ angelic brothers protests. But when Dean develops demonic abilities he is transferred to another integrated school. He suggests Cas follow him which he does but his prejudice against demons keep from getting along with Dean’s new friends. Dean breaks up with him but Cas is determined to get him back.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Series: Saving people, writing prompts [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/453034
Comments: 11
Kudos: 88





	When an Angel Loves a Demon

Most kids don’t have to worry about their sixteenth birthdays. At least not the purebreds. They’ll be what their parents are, just like their parents were like their parents before them, and so on. It’s the mixed-bloods and the parentless kids that had to have anxiety. If there was any mixing in your family line, _especially_ if your direct parents are a mixed couple - one angel, one demon - then it’s up in the air. If you’re adopted or in foster care - apart from open adoptions or foster kids who were put in foster care later in life, after already knowing their parents - you’re drowning in the unknown. 

Castiel Novak comes from a long line of purebred angels. Not a single mixed marriage on record. He already knows he’ll be an angel. White, fluffy wings will sprout from his back, allowing him to fly in the freeing way only angels can - by apparating. He’ll be able to read minds and sense emotions. Everything on Earth will bend to his will, from the weather to a pencil sharpener. All of his senses will slightly heighten - but his vision will become extraordinary. His strength will be extreme, his life nearly immortal, but without using his hands or a weapon he can not cause harm to another. The only possible way to manipulate a human body with angelic power is to _heal._

Dean Winchester, on the other hand, is a kid stuck in foster care because no one wanted him from the very start. He knows the fire station he was left at. That’s it. He could be an angel like Castiel. 

Or Dean could become a demon. He could sprout black, leathery wings that will allow him to fly but as a bird would fly, instead of the instant transport of an angel. All of his senses will slightly heighten - but his hearing will become extraordinary. He’ll be able to bend anything to his will that isn’t connected directly to nature, as nature is too pure for the demons to interact with. Because of the corruption of humanity, he’ll not only be able to read minds and sense emotions but, unlike the angels, he’ll be able to control them. 

Most importantly - and why demons are discriminated against and feared world-wide - demons can use their attachment to the mind to harm individuals without having to lay a single finger on them or utter a syllable. With one look, they can boil someone’s insides or turn their mind to insanity. Demons can't heal. They can only destroy. 

Dean never cared which he’d be - his life was always shit and that’s what he had come to expect for his future too - but then he met Castiel Freshman year of high school and everything changed. They fell in love the way most high schooler’s do - quickly and fearlessly. Unlike the others, though, they’ve stayed together for over two years. 

Now, just a few weeks from his sixteenth birthday, Dean’s been unable to sleep or eat or think of anything other than what his identification will be. In order to ever marry a Novak, Dean knows he has to be an angel. 

He spends every night praying to the God everyone claims exists to make him one. 

\---- 

The first sign is small. Almost unnoticeable. Dean and Castiel, along with their two best friends Charlie and Benny, are sitting at a table in the cafeteria for lunch. Benny’s chewing on a carrot and Castiel’s sipping on his capri sun. Both are wrapped up in the story Charlie is telling. 

Someone walks by and their elbow bumps into the back of Castiel’s head. Castiel gets pushed forward and rage flares in Dean’s mind. He whips around and stares at the asshole that did it, who doesn’t look sorry at all. 

“Hey asshole, you just hit my boyfriend.”

“So? The fuck you want me to do about it, Winchester?” The guy rolls his eyes and then laughs with his jock friends. “Maybe I should hit him again.”

Dean pushes to his feet and growls under his breath. “Apologize. Now.”

And it's the funniest fucking thing. 

He _does_. 

The asshole straightens his shoulders, drops his smile, turns his eyes on Castiel, and says, “I’m sorry.” 

The guy’s friends scoff and blow it off, dragging him away. Charlie starts on a rampage about toxic masculinity. Benny - at least as far as Dean can see - hasn’t even noticed anything happened, engrossed in something on his phone. 

But Castiel. As Dean takes a seat beside Castiel, the boy stares at him with eyes that worry. With eyes that saw what Dean saw. He places a hand over Dean’s and gives it a comforting squeeze. “He just realized it wasn’t worth the fight.”

“Right.” Dean nods, staring off into space. “Realized it himself. Made his own decision.”

“Yes. It was his choice to apologize.”

Dean looks at Castiel out of the corner of his eye. “But… was it?” 

Castiel doesn’t answer. 

\---- 

The next time is more dramatic and much harder to explain away. 

Dean’s sitting in math class, anxiously bouncing his knee as he waits for the bell to ring. It’s the last class of the day and there’s a football game tonight. He and Castiel are going, though Dean’s hoping to sneak the boy away. Benny managed to make a copy of Mr. Singer’s keys and Dean has them for the night. He’d much rather lay Castiel out in the backseat of one of the cars in auto shop than watch stupid football. 

Just as Dean’s daydreaming about Castiel giving him a blow job in the back of that sweet Camaro they’ve been working on in shop class, Dean hears a locker slam shut. He startles but doesn’t think anything of it because that’s normal to hear. Sure, it seemed a bit louder than usual, as if it had happened right over his shoulder, but still. 

No big deal. 

Then he hears, “Did you hear the rumors about Mrs. Harvelle?”

Followed by a scandalized, “The rumor she’s fucking a student?”

And Dean - who had not heard these rumors yet - jolts up in his seat and releases an intrigued gasp. 

“Who?” Dean whispers as he leans forward. He’s convinced it’s the two people sitting in front of him that said this because it was too loud to have come from far away. 

Except the two underclassmen that turn to look at Dean seem to think he’s crazy. 

“Did you say something?” one of them asks. 

“I - weren’t you - were you talking about Mrs. Harvelle?” 

The two look at each other before back at him. They’re clearly confused. “No, dude. We’re paying attention to the lesson. No one’s talking but you.”

“Oh.”

After an awkward moment the two turn back toward the front and he _knows_ that one of them whispers something about Dean being on drugs because he sees the other laugh in response. 

Dean jumps when another locker slams. 

His hearing is heightened. 

That one you can’t say is a coincidence. 

Closing his eyes, Dean promises himself that he’ll figure this out. It can be fixed. He can fix this. 

Castiel doesn’t ever have to know. 

\---- 

The defining moment happens in the least convenient place possible. The Novak residence. It’s two days after Dean’s birthday. According to Dean, he still hasn’t felt any changes. It’s a lie. A dead lie. He can feel the demon in his blood already. It’s inside of him. It _is_ him. 

Everyone assures him he’ll find out any day now. That not everyone figures it out by their sixteenth birthday. 

Castiel doesn’t say a single thing. 

Dean’s pretty sure his boyfriend knows. 

But here Dean is, dressed in a fine-tailored suit that Castiel’s family bought him for the charity event being held at their mansion. They’ve done it before. The Novak’s actually like him, something Dean always thought was crazy considering he was some poor kid that spent his life bouncing from foster home to foster home. It didn’t matter to them. The Novak’s cared about two things: their son’s happiness, and their grandchildren’s pureblood. Dean gives Castiel the first one already, and if Dean were to present as an angel then he’d give their son the second one too. 

There’s a tension at the party tonight, though. Dean can feel it in the way all the Novak’s are studying him. He can see it in their eyes. They're wondering if it’s the last time they’ll be seeing him, or if they’ll be seeing him for the rest of their lives. 

Dean already knows the answer. 

And, just before dinner is served, everyone else learns the answer too. 

One minute, Dean’s laughing along with Castiel at a joke Castiel’s brother Gabriel is telling. The next, he’s hearing someone screaming for help. He’s an idiot. He doesn’t think to look around and make sure others can hear it. He doesn’t think at all. Dean hears the panicked voice and he breaks out into a sprint. 

Obviously, others begin to follow. 

They’re following because he’s looking like a crazy person, not because they can hear it. 

Dean realizes this when they’re about six minutes into sprinting, but damn that voice is close, and he’s already blown his cover now. When he finds the girl that had been screaming, he drops to his knees with the intention of helping. Someone grabs him by the nape of his neck and yanks him back, though. When he looks up he sees it’s Castiel’s father. His glare is toxic as he spits, “All you're capable of is destruction. She needs an angel, not filth.” 

What hurts more than that is when Dean looks up at Castiel. He doesn’t look surprised but he’s crying. When Dean gets to his feet and steps toward him, Castiel shakes his head and steps back. 

The need to calm and comfort Castiel bubbles up in Dean’s chest and he can feel the power to do so in the tips of his fingers. He clenches his fists at his sides and steps back. “I’m sorry.” 

Dean doesn’t even know who he’s apologizing to, or for what. 

He just turns his back and leaves the Novaks behind, repeating himself for good measure. 

“I’m sorry.” 

\---- 

Castiel is at Dean’s locker Monday morning holding a pie. Dean stops short, eyeing it before cautiously looking at Castiel. 

“It’s the silk chocolate that you love.” Castiel fidgets and laughs nervously. “Gabriel told me to make a joke about how it’s dark chocolate like your demon soul.” 

For the first time since the party at Castiel’s house, Dean smiles. It’s weak and slightly forced but it’s there. “As long as Gabriel baked it and you didn’t.”

“Oh trust me. He did it. I wasn’t allowed on the other side of the kitchen island the entire time.”

“Well, if that’s the case, then thank you.” Dean takes it, hoping Castiel doesn’t see the way his hand trembles when he reaches out. “He didn’t poison it did he?”

“No. You know Gabe better than that, Dean. He thinks the whole angel and demon thing is ridiculous.”

Dean nods. He does know this. Gabriel is the black sheep of the family. He sleeps with angels, demons, and non-presenters. It makes his family ashamed but he promised them to never have kids - to never soil the family line - so they allow him to stay instead of disowning him. 

When Dean looks at Castiel again, he finds himself wondering if Castiel would make that promise. Wondering if Castiel’s family would even allow it, since he’s the one with such a bright future ahead of him. 

Wondering if Castiel would be okay if he couldn’t be a father. 

Wondering if Dean himself would be okay with that. 

“I should get to class,” Dean whispers weakly. “I have to get my forms signed.”

Castiel perks up. “Forms?”

“Yeah. I’m transferring.”

“What? Where?”

“To Kripke Academy across town.” Dean tries to keep the bitterness from his tone but he doesn’t think he does a very good job. “They have a near-equal amount of angels and demons. They even have two non-presenters.”

Panic invades Castiel’s expression as he shakes his head. “No. We’re integrated here, Dean. Stay. No one will bother you.”

Dean scoffs. “Come on, Cas. We’re integrated here but you see how this place operates. To every one demon there are ten angels. There’s only one demon teacher, and Mr. Crowley has been fighting for his job the past few years because apparently they’re having ‘budget cuts’ in the history department.”

“It’s not that bad.”

“It’s not bad for you. It’s not bad for an angel.” Dean pushes by Castiel and begins to turn the dial on his locker. “We don’t all have that privilege.” 

"Dean-"

"Cas, we aren't even allowed to date anymore. Why are you bothering me?"

Castiel pulls back as if he's been slapped. "I - I love you."

“Enough to rebel against the precious Novaks?” 

“Who cares what they think?”

“Castiel, you can’t be that naive.”

Stepping forward, Castiel pins Dean to the locker beside his own. “I’m not being naive. I’m fighting for our relationship. Someone has to, since you’re just giving up! I’m going to fix this. We’re going to make this work.”

“I’m transferring.” Dean shakes his head, already knowing what he’s about to say is going to get shot down. “But you could come with me.”

“Okay.”

Dean’s heart stops. He’d ask Castiel to repeat himself, convinced he didn’t hear right, but Dean’s hearing is phenomenal. 

“Okay? You’d do that?” Dean asks in shock. Then, “Would your parents even let you do that?”

“I’ll figure it out.” Castiel pushes forward and kisses Dean. It feels like bubbles come alive under his skin. He’s never felt so much relief. For the first time since he started showing demon signs, Dean has hope. “I have to go. Late to Math. See you at lunch.”

\---- 

Kripke Academy has one of the best pre-college academic tracts in the state. That's the reason Castiel latches onto, twisting and pulling until his parents agree to let him go. He's forced to make a deal, though. When Castiel graduates, he'll go to his parent's college of choosing and he will go alone. Single. Unattached. Without Dean Winchester by his side. 

It's a year and a half away, so Castiel puts it out of his mind. He doesn't even bother mentioning it to Dean. There's no point. 

Things settle when they start at Kripke. Castiel's family backs off. Dean starts getting a handle on his powers. Their relationship sinks back into their normal, easy complacency. 

Their old friends aren't pleased with the move, but they're understanding. They all still hangout after school most days, and spend the weekends doing nonsense as usual. Their new friends, though… well, Castiel finds it hard to describe them. He doesn't necessarily _hate_ them, but he doesn't _like_ them either.

All of their new friends are demons. Don't get Castiel wrong, he's not prejudiced like his family. He doesn't believe all the nonsense that they are inherently evil. He doesn't buy into the hysteria that demons will one day rule the world. There are plenty of demons that have done amazing things for the world, just like the slew of angels that have unleashed terror and violence. 

So, it's not because they're demons that Castiel doesn't like these people he's currently sitting with at lunch. It's _them_ that he can't stand. 

Take Alistair for example. He's obsessed with violence and sex. He sleeps around to the point of nauseum. He runs his own secret fight club. He loves taking radical approaches to nearly every topic of conversation, usually just to piss off the person or people he's interacting with. 

Then you have Meg. Almost every sentence of hers has at least one swear word, and always seems to have an insult in it that Castiel can feel but can't name. Her three favorite things are flirting with Dean, smoking weed, and pissing Castiel off. 

Worst of all, in Castiel's opinion, is Cain. He radiates danger. Not the small time danger of Alistair either. Whereas Alistair threatens with a black eye, Cain threatens with death. His little brother died mysteriously last year. It seems to Castiel that everyone at the table knows, and accepts, that Cain was who killed him. With the way Cain tends to talk about things and people, Castiel thinks the boy is raring for another kill. 

This boy is, of course, the person Dean has made his new best friend. The two are practically inseparable. Castiel has been spending more time with Dean _and_ Cain, than just Dean alone. 

All of this is why he's in such a sour mood today, and that mood is what makes him snap.

In his defense, Alistair is going on about weird dungeon porn where someone was getting whipped until they were sobbing and bleeding, and Castiel isn't one to kink shame, he can't considering everything Gabriel dips his toes into, but he doesn't think the topic is necessarily appropriate for high school lunchtime. 

So, Castiel's growled, "Can we please change the fucking subject?" is, in his opinion, completely called for. 

However, Castiel can admit that following that up with, "What is it with you people always talking about messed up shit like that?" wasn't necessary. It most definitely wasn't a good idea. 

"You people?" Dean asks, hurt lining every detail of his face. 

"Demons, Dean," Meg snarls. "Clarence is talking shit about demons."

Castiel takes a deep breath to keep from blowing up. He gets how his comment sounded and he needs to fix it before Dean gets upset. 

"I didn't mean it like that. I just meant you guys, as in everyone sitting here."

Alistair scoffs. "Who happen to be demons."

"No. Dean doesn't talk about that kind of stuff, and he's a demon."

Cain leans forward, and the look he gives Castiel makes Castiel feel 5 years old and unsure of the world. "Dean talks plenty about shit like that. He just doesn't in front of his precious angel."

"Cut it out," Dean orders everyone, demons and Castiel alike. Then he grabs his bag and takes Castiel’s hand in his. "Come on. We don't wanna be late for class." 

They walk to their lockers in silence, then to the classroom where they both have Chemistry in the same quiet manner. 

Castiel doesn't ask Dean if what they said was true. Dean doesn't ask Castiel if he had meant _demons_ when saying _you people_. They do this because they're afraid they already know the answers. 

It's the beginning of the end.

\----

"You wouldn't want to come," Dean says with a shrug of his shoulder, not even looking at Castiel. "It's all demons going."

"I want to go because you're going."

"None of you get along. It'll just make everyone miserable."

"Everyone…" Castiel forces himself not to sound anything but bored as he asks, "Including you?" 

Dean's hesitation doesn't bode well. He still doesn't look at Castiel. "Of course not. I love you. Just - just don't get all pissy about not being invited. We can hangout tomorrow."

"Yeah. Okay." Castiel forces a smile, even though he knows they won't hang out tomorrow. "Have fun tonight, then."

\---- 

"It's the biggest party your family hosts all year. Of course I'm coming."

"Dean, it's just not a good idea."

"Your parents invited me."

Castiel laughs incredulously. "Yeah. _Before._ "

" _Before._ " Dean sneers at Castiel. "Before they found out I'm a monster, you mean."

"Dean… you know I don't see you like they do."

"Do I, Cas? Do I know that?"

Castiel's heart skips wildly. "Dean-"

"It's fine. I get it."

"Dean, I don't see you as a monster."

"I know." Dean gives him a smile so fake Castiel knows he didn't put any effort into hiding it. "It's fine. We can hangout tomorrow."

"Yeah." Castiel shuts his locker, giving Dean a smile just as fake. Lying has become so easy with them. Easier than loving each other. "We can definitely hangout tomorrow."

Dean nods. Looks away. "Great. Have fun at the party, then." 

\---- 

"Did you go to the basketball game last night?" Castiel asks, not looking up from his sandwich. They're sitting in the hall for lunch today. Dean's friends don't want Castiel sitting at the table anymore, so Dean takes turns. Today is Castiel's turn. He's not entirely excited about that. 

Dean shrugs like it's nothing. "Yeah. Cain plays, remember? I went with the crew to watch."

"You said you weren't feeling good." Castiel frowns at his boyfriend. If he even is that anymore. Part of him feels like they broke up, but no one told them. "I asked if you wanted to hangout and you said you weren't feeling well."

"I lied."

"Oh." 

Dean sighs, the sound long and annoyed. "You texted at like 7. I was already at the game. I lied so you wouldn't feel bad for not being invited."

"Okay." 

"Okay." 

"Yeah," Castiel whispers, turning to stare out the window. "Okay…"

\---- 

"Dean, _wait-_ "

Dean rolls off of Castiel's body, off his bed, hopping up to his feet. He grabs his shirt and angrily tugs it on. "Whatever. I'm just gonna go home."

"Dean-"

"Drop it."

Castiel pulls the blankets up to hide his own bare chest. He looks on the verge of tears. Dean doesn't fucking understand _why._

"Ya know, Cas, I never want to be that guy that forces sex. I don't wanna be that boyfriend who thinks you owe him or you can't say no because we're dating." Dean huffs an angry laugh. "But you can barely kiss me. I see the way you shrink in on yourself when I touch you. You can't even get hard anymore." 

"I'm stressed out."

"Yeah. About the fact that I fucking presented as demon."

"No, about - about everything!"

"Castiel Novak, Mr. 4.2 GPA, perfect attendance, class president, honors student, valedictorian, overachiever, perfectionist, used to risk detention - or worse - all the time just to get a minute of kissing or a quick handy in. You used to shove me into every supply closet or drama club storage room. You used to get on your knees for me in the school auditorium. And you always said it was because you were addicted to me. You couldn't get enough. Couldn't keep your hands off me. So what changed, Cas? Hmmm?" 

Castiel doesn't answer. Dean nods. "I presented."

"Dean-"

"Let's just admit it. Don't we owe each other that, Cas? Don't you owe me that? Just fucking admit it."

A tear falls down Castiel's cheek. "I can't stop it. I'm - I'm trying. I know in my head it's not true. What my parents taught me. What society says. It's not true. I _know_ that. But I - I can't…"

"Well, I'll make it easier for you." Dean grabs his phone and keys from the bedside table, keeping his face like stone so Castiel can't see how crushed he is. "This is over. You go find yourself a nice little angel to settle down with. Be happy. Make your parents proud. I'll be just fine."

Castiel looks up at him with wide eyes full of fear. "No, Dean, _I love you_." 

"Well, that's apparently not enough anymore." 

"Dean-"

"Bye, Cas." 

\---- 

Dean’s smile feels sticky and venomous as he watches the party go on without him. He's trying to be in the moment. Trying to participate. He did a keg stand earlier. Took a shot off a girl's breasts. Winked at her. Flirted. Got her number. Politely turned down a blow job. Feeling buzzed after that, he had danced a bit in the living room. Grinded on a cute boy who looked nothing like the boy he wanted him to be. Smoked a joint with him. Got his number. Politely turned down a blow job. 

He's only checked Castiel's Instagram and snapchat twice, which is much better than last weekend when he did it 9 times. Then again, Dean spent all day laying in bed looking at old photos and watching videos of the two of them, so he's not sure if _better_ is accurate. 

_God, he misses his beautiful angel._

"But he doesn't miss you," Cain says in a low voice across the room, Dean picking up the words easily. 

"Get the fuck outta my head," Dean growls, crushing his red solo cup in his hand and not caring when beer sprays everywhere. 

"Stop being all mopey." 

"Stop being an asshole."

"Both of you stop," Meg hisses from off to the side. "And someone come makeout with me." 

Cain raises an eyebrow in challenge, daring Dean to go do it. Just to prove his best friend wrong, Dean pushes off the wall and heads towards Meg. He takes her by the hand and pulls her along until they find a dark corner. Then he's pressing up against her, wrapping his lips around hers, and it's wrong. She's wrong. Everything… everything is so _wrong._

\---- 

"Sigh one more time, and I'll suffocate you with a pillow," Gabe threatens, one eyebrow raised as he looks over at Castiel. They're having a movie night at Gabe's apartment. Or, more accurately, a movie weekend. Same as the weekend before. They've made their way through every John Hughes movie and are now halfway through the cinematic adaptations of Nicholas Sparks books. Gabe hasn't eaten this much chocolate and junk food in all his life, which is saying a hell of a lot. 

"They just love each other so much," Castiel says with a sniffle, then another sigh. "He - he'd do _anything_ for her!"

"Oh, here we go."

"He climbed the ferris wheel and - and he wrote all those letters and he's building this house even though she never answered because - because that's how much he _loves_ her!" Castiel sobs, his chest aching.

Once the first sob has been released, he can't stop them.

"Yup. Yup, there it is." Gabe sighs, then reaches over for the pack of Oreos and the box of tissues on the coffee table, offering both to his little brother. Castiel takes them with sobbed thank yous before bursting into another fit of incoherent words that seem to sum up the movie while simultaneously pointing out that he and Dean were supposed to have this sort of love. 

Gabe puts up with this shit for the rest of The Notebook and 47 minutes of Dear John. Then he's had _enough_. 

"Alright little bro." Gabe pauses the movie, then pries the box of Milk Duds out of Castiel’s hands. Castiel looks up at him with eyes full of tears, and Gabe is honestly shocked that the kid has any tears left in him. “You need to talk to Dean.”

Castiel shakes his head. “No. That’s not - I can’t! Don’t you see?”

“I see that you were kind of a dick to him, and he was kind of a dick back. But this is ridiculous. You’re heartbroken and miserable. If you can just admit that you were wrong, and if he can admit that he was wrong, the two of you could figure things out.”

“It would never work.” Castiel sniffles. “I had such a hard time because of mom and dad. Every time I looked at Dean, I heard their voices in my head. Every time I looked at his friends, every time I tried to kiss him. And then sometimes I’d forget and it’d be like it was before for a moment, and then boom, I’d remember. I’d remember that mom and dad told me I don’t get to keep him. They told me I can be with him until graduation and then it’s over. How do I let myself kiss him and be happy with him when I know that’s what’s coming for us? When I know it’s doomed?”

Gabe shrugs a shoulder. “Then don’t let it be doomed.”

“How would I do that?”

“Be like me. Promise them you won’t have kids, you won’t fuck with the family line, and they’ll just write you off like they do me.”

“I doubt they’d let me do that.”

“Maybe it’s not up to them. It should be up to you. You have to decide if Dean’s worth it.”

“Of course he is.”

“Then tell him that. Tell him why you’ve been having a hard time, explain that it wasn’t the demon thing but mom and dad’s opinions of the demon thing, and the way you’ve been dreading the end of things. Tell him that you’re willing to give up everything for him.”

Castiel stares down at his hands for a moment, considering. Then he takes a deep breath and nods. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m gonna do that.”

\---- 

Dean ignores all of Castiel’s calls and texts, so Castiel resorts to cornering him at school. He manages to do it when Dean’s walking down one of the outer halls of the school, the one that only brings you to woodshop and art, the one that’s quiet and secluded. 

“Dean!”

“Fuckin’ hell, Cas.” Dean takes a step back, eyes wide. “You just scared the shit out of me.”

“I was trying to be really quiet so you wouldn’t hear me. I knew you’d run away.”

Dean sighs, looking down at the floor. He scuffs the toe of his shoe against the linoleum. “Actually, I’ve been practicing muting my powers. They’re getting overwhelming.”

“Oh. Well… that’s great. That’s good, Dean. I know it takes a while to control them. It took Gabe two years before he had all his angel stuff under control.”

“Yeah.” Dean peeks up at him. “My friends have been helping me.”

It sounds like it was meant to be passive aggressive but it failed. He just sounds worn out. Castiel wonders if he’s getting enough sleep. If he’s doing okay with his schoolwork. If his current foster home is still safe. “That’s good, about your friends. It’s good you have them.”

“Cas, what do you want?”

“Oh. I - I want to talk to you.”

“And you thought maybe my phone was broken or what?”

Castiel feels his cheeks heat up. “No, I figured you were ignoring me.”

“Okaaay?”

“I was afraid,” Castiel blurts, knowing Dean’s going to walk away any second now. “I wasn’t afraid of you, I was afraid of my parents. I - they told me we couldn’t be together after graduation and I thought I could deal with that, who knows maybe they’d change their mind, right? But it was so hard. Like this dark cloud hanging over us. But I shouldn't have let them do that to me. To _us_. It should be our decision if we want to be together. I don't care about the Novak name. I don't care about my stupid trust fund. They can cut me off if they want. I need you, Dean. I _love_ you." 

Dean shakes his head. “It wasn't just that, Cas. You hated my friends. Judged them for being demons.”

“No. I judged them for being shitty people, but I shouldn’t have, because I don’t know them like you do. I should have given them a chance to prove me wrong.”

Dean looks surprised by this. Then sad. “Yeah… you should have.”

“I’m really sorry.”

“Okay.” Dean looks at him for the first time. “I’m sorry, too. I let them get to me. I let them convince me not to be with you.”

“Okay.”

"Would you really throw everything away for me?" 

Castiel doesn't hesitate. "Yes. And I want a family with you, so I'm not willing to do the deal Gabe did. I wouldn't care if I had to leave it all behind. Not if it meant having you by my side for the rest of my life."

Looking on the verge of tears, Dean admits, "I've always wanted a real family. I wanted one with you."

"Do you _still_ want one with me?"

"Of course I do." Dean looks at him through his lashes. "Do you?"

"Yes. More than anything." 

"Okay."

Castiel nods. "Okay." 

The two stand there for a minute, just suspended in the moment. The bell rings, meaning classes have begun. Neither of them move. 

“Dean?” Castiel whispers, hating that his voice tilts pathetically at the end. 

“Yeah, Cas?”

“I've really missed you.”

Dean’s defenses fall as he sees the tear that rolls down Castiel’s cheek. He closes the distance between them, pulling Castiel to his chest in a tight hug. “God, babe, I’ve missed you too.”

\---- 

When Castiel’s parents find out he’s back with Dean, they make Castiel renew his promise. He does without blinking. 

They date for the rest of high school, just like his parents said they could. 

Then, the night of graduation, with two duffel bags and a secret bank account Gabe set up for them, Dean and Castiel get on a bus and disappear. No one hears from them again. At least, as far as Castiel’s parents know. Gabe keeps in touch, feeding them money here and there, and going to visit them at least once a year once they’re settled. 

Dean opens up his own auto-shop. Castiel becomes a demon rights advocate. They build a fantastic friend group of angels, demons, and non-presenters alike. 

They have one child of their own, and adopt another. Jack presents as an angel. Claire presents as a demon. 

They love them both equally. 

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me on tumblr @ destiel-love-forever!! <3


End file.
